Review: We Have Not Long To Love, Camden Peoples’ Theatre

Having seen some of Tennessee Williams’ work before, I was intrigued by the opportunity to see three of his short plays tied together. Particularly with this being some of his lesser-known work, the collision of the stories excited me. After a jazzy opening number, introducing the joyous cast, I quickly experienced first-class acting from this company, recently founded at LAMDA. 

The blend of the three plays, The Lady of Larkspur Lotion, Talk To Me Like The Rain and Let Me Listen, and The Case of the Crushed Petunias, was done well. The running themes of love and longing brought the stories together, and the addition of group dance numbers between the short stories led me to believe it was all happening on the same day in the same town, despite the mention of different locations. The dance element was a welcome addition to the original writing. 

For a fringe performance, the cast was large, with ten performers in total, but each had their time to shine, appearing in one of the three stories. The multitalented cast also operated in creative roles. The Writer played by Josh Beckman in The Lady of Larkspur Lotion showed a range of emotion in his heartfelt monologue, physically rising and falling with the words. Alex Holliday was another standout performance, as the Young Man in The Case of the Crushed Petunias. His charm-full character was mesmerising to watch, as if you were watching him fall in love in real time. 

All the set, props and costumes grounded the performance in 1950s America. Complete costumes really brought the characters into reality, and only a pair of clearly modern socks reminded me I was sitting in the Camden People’s Theatre on a sunny day in August in 2025. Two of the stories had a bed frame at the centre of the performance, which led to some well-considered movement direction by Cheri McKenzie. Endless fluid motion moved characters up and down, from chair to bed, seamlessly leading the eyes on a physical journey with the actors. Combined with the soothing soundscapes, I was entranced for the full hour.  

I left the theatre with a warm heart, with these simple love stories of a bygone era having flowed effortlessly through the cast. Bringing nostalgic feelings of love, longing and home to the forefront, my evening dancing through 1950s America showcased the timeless classics of Tennessee Williams beautifully.

Reasd more about this show in our interview here.

Written by: Tennessee Williams
Directed by: Jacob Proctor & Carly Helms
Movement Direction by: Cheri McKenzie
Intimacy Direction by: Justin Stirewalt

We Have Not Long To Love has completed its run at the Camden People’s Theatre